Oakvale, WV
Oakvale wildfire risk explained
Oakvale sits at the 65th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — well above the national norm for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 82 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Oakvale at the 66th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Oakvale's buildings actually sit
100% of Oakvale's 82 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 82 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 0% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Where Oakvale ranks
Oakvale's risk sits at a similar level relative to West Virginia (58th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (65th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Oakvale ranks 11,047 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,829 by building count (1 is largest). Within West Virginia alone, it ranks 183 of 429 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for West Virginia on its state page.
Oakvale and the insurance market
At the 65th percentile nationally, Oakvale carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Oakvale (100%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Oakvale's figures come from
Every one of the two percentiles behind Oakvale's 11,047-place national rank traces to USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities dataset — see the methodology guide. The exposure-zones guide covers what Oakvale's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.